contacts online

[April]

Has anyone had any bad experiences buying contact online? Any particularly good experiences?

I had an eye exam today, and I'm looking at buying some lenses. Gotta go back there tomorrow to have them explain my prescription. It's not in the usual format, so I don't understand it. They were reluctant to give it to me, so I'm kinda wondering if they did that so I'd have to go back to them. Errm, excuse the paranoia. LOL

So what are the places to stay away from? I don't feel like getting ripped off.

 

[Pyper]

I do 1-800-CONTACTS online. Never had a bad experience with them. I even entered the wrong information once and they cancelled the order with no charge even though it had already processed through shipping several days later. Way cheaper than buying from the optometrist.

And what do you mean not the usual format? Do you know the numbers (-5.75 or whatever) for each eye? If you do, that's all you need to order.

 

[Ham Murabi]

Here's a tip: Avoid e-businesses that sell Viagra for $45 a pill and throw in the contacts for free.

 

[April]

The numbers are just written out in a line. No notation as to what they correspond to. Like this:

-300 -125 1E0

Is that an E or a backwards 3? I dunno. And on the side is
Freq 55
E7
14.4

So I gotta call and have them tell me what's what.
I was told that I could get colored toric lenses, but I can't find them. Me gots astigmatism.

 

[Pyper]

Are you sure it isn't -3.00 and -1.25? Are you mildly nearsighted? If you are, then that's your prescription, but you gotta know what number goes to what eye.

 

[freakygirl]

See if this helps any

How to Read Your Contact Lens Prescription

 

[Silverlily]

Looks like the -3.00 is the sphere and the -1.25 is the cylinder reading. Don't know about toric lenses, but with a glasses, cylinder always comes with an axis reading (where to put it).

Contacts also need a base (curve) and a diameter, ex. mine is 8.6 and 14.4 at a -3.00 sphere.

Stick to well known companies, such as 1-800-CONTACTS, right now there a pretty big controversy over some companies selling lenses that are incorrectly labeled.

 

[April]

That's the scrip for the right eye. Just as I wrote it. We're thinking that maybe the "E" is an incomplete 8. Which makes sense.

I hate dealing with doctor types. They always make things a bit more complicated than necessary.

 

[April]

I think I figured it out. Yay me. Heh

Freq 55 is a brand name. I didn't know that. The doc said he was going to prescribe Ciba lenses for me, and those aren't Ciba. Everything fits into place. But brings up another problem.

Thanks for the help. I'm so new at this, I can use all the pointers I can get.

 

[April]

Any other suggestions as to good places to buy online?